About
Mr Paul Akiwumi, a seasoned global leader with over three decades of experience in the United Nations system, has been at the forefront of international development as former Director of UNCTAD’s Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries, and Special Programmes since 2017. A national of Ghana and the United Kingdom, Mr Akiwumi is a development practitioner, a compelling advocate for inclusive economic growth, sustainable trade, investment and innovative multilateral solutions to address the challenges facing developing countries.
He has extensive experience in providing policy advise to governments and leading diverse, global teams, with a proven track record of executive successes across Africa, Asia, and the Americas. Recognised as a driven and innovative leader, Mr Akiwumi brings strategic vision and clarity to effectively manage complex challenges and business processes, even when working in difficult economic settings. With a deep knowledge of African markets and extensive experience in other developing economies, Mr Akiwumi is deeply committed to advancing growth, innovation, trade and development. Leveraging this passion, he is committed to building strong partnerships across industry, government and civil society to deliver forward-looking strategies and solutions to address multi-dimensional problems.
Mr Akiwumi joined the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) in Geneva, Switzerland, in February 2017. As Director of the Division for Africa, Least Developed Countries and Special Programmes (ALDC) at UNCTAD, Mr Akiwumi coordinated the organisation’s work in African countries, as well as its support of vulnerable groups such as the Least Developed Countries (LDCs), Landlocked Developing Countries (LLDCs) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). He brings a bold and forward-looking global perspective to the issues of sustainable development, trade, investment, economic diversification and value addition, and multilateral cooperation.
In his role at UNCTAD, he led the management and production of annual UNCTAD flagship reports, the Economic Development in Africa Report and The Least Developed Countries Report, which provide topical and thematic economic analysis and policy recommendations for government leaders and development policymakers to address key issues on the global trade and economic agenda through the design and application of innovative and forward-looking methodologies and policy-oriented research.
He also oversaw an extensive portfolio of technical cooperation and capacity building for developing countries, including on the development of productive capacities, inequality and poverty reduction, as well as tools and strategies to measure and combat illicit financial flows. Moreover, Mr Akiwumi led the development of national holistic support programmes – Transforming4Trade – which aim to catalyse structural economic transformation and sustainable development through economic and export diversification, targeted investment, value addition and technology-driven services. These holistic programmes were recognised by the UN Secretary General as one of the twelve High Impact Initiatives to accelerate the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
Mr Akiwumi spearheaded the development of the Productive Capacities Index (PCI) as a new statistical and methodological tool to assist evidence-based policymaking and development planning. His leadership has been instrumental in raising awareness of the importance of productive capacities as the enablers of inclusive development, economic growth and participation in global and regional trade.
Before being appointed as Director of the Division for Africa, LDCs and Special Programmes (ALDC), he served as Director of the Economic, Social and Development Affairs Unit in the Executive Office of the Secretary-General of the United Nations. He was responsible for advising the UN Secretary-General on the development pillar and supporting the activities of the UN's development-related departments, funds and programmes, fostering policy integration and the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals, the Addis Ababa Action Agenda, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Istanbul Programme of Action, the Technology Bank for LDCs and the New Urban Agenda.
Prior to this role, Mr Akiwumi held the position of Chief of Staff in the Office of the Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations, where he played a critical role in strengthening the development pillar in the Office of the Secretary-General.
Mr Akiwumi has also served as Senior Advisor to the Global Environment Facility (GEF), Chief Executive Officer and Secretary to the GEF Council in Washington D.C.
Earlier in his career, Mr. Akiwumi served with the United Nations Environment Programme, where he held the position of Chief of Staff, developing institutional policy, managing the action plans and conventions related to SIDS, Eastern and Western Africa, as well as the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. He also served as the Chief of Staff at the United Nations Office at Nairobi and prior to that worked for the Food and Agriculture Organization, working on rural development projects, and the UN Economic Commission for Africa’s natural resources division.
Mr Akiwumi holds a Master's Degree from the University of Southampton, United Kingdom.